The present invention relates to an improved holster and mounting bracket assembly for holding and supporting a full size service handgun on a user. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved holster and mounting bracket assembly having the capability of being configured for quick and efficient retrieval of the handgun from the person, while providing a level of complete concealability and comfort to the wearer.
The prior art describes many types of holsters having various shapes and sizes to accommodate the unique configuration of the handgun, but many lack the capacity to completely store and conceal a full size service handgun that is often used by today""s law enforcement personnel. Holsters described in the art include those that can be attached to the waistline or leg using a belt of some type or attached to the wearer using a harness comprised of prearranged straps fitted around the wearer""s chest and back. Most, if not all, prior art devices demonstrate that the positioning of the handgun near the waistline is the optimum location for rapid withdraw of the handgun, which is particularly important to law enforcement personnel during a crisis or in an emergency situation. The ability to efficiently withdraw the handgun from the holster, particularly those of the full service type, is greatly improved if the holster includes means for ready adjustment to permit proper orientation thereof in relation to the wearer""s arm and corresponding movement. Further, the ability to adjust the angle of the holster while situated on the wearer is particularly important to accommodate the varying positions of the wearer for enhanced comfort. For instance, when the wearer is in a sitting position, the holster should be capable of being adjusted in a more forward orientation to correspond to the crease established at the hip and legs, and in an upright, downward orientation when the wearer is standing to facilitate rapid withdraw of the handgun. In addition to the feature of adjustability, the ability to completely conceal the handgun during nonuse while maintaining a level of comfort to the user is particularly advantageous to law enforcement personnel as well as others whom are required to carry or wear a full size service handgun for sustained periods of time.
Although the relevant body of the art discloses numerous devices for holding and supporting a handgun on a wearer, including those that have pivoting means to achieve a level of limited concealability and adjustability, most require the user to position his or her hands on the handgun in order to facilitate adjustment or angular positioning of the holster. This may create a potentially dangerous situation particularly if the holster is designed to pivot below or at the waistline to enhance concealability of the handgun, as seen in U.S. Pat. No. 5,265,781 issued Nov. 30, 1993 to Nichols, which shows an apparatus to allow pivotal movement of the holster, but relies in most part on the handle of the handgun to facilitate movement thereof.
Accordingly, there remains a need for a holster and mounting bracket assembly capable of being adjusted about the waistline without resorting to increased handling of the handgun while situated on the wearer, in addition to having a slim-line profile to enhance comfort and complete concealability during nonuse and storage of the handgun on the wearer.
In order to overcome the numerous drawbacks apparent in the prior art, an improved handgun holster and mounting bracket assembly has been devised for use on a belt or strap adaptably positioned on a user.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a low cost, non-complicated holster and mounting bracket assembly which may be reliably used with numerous types of full size service handguns most often used by law enforcement personnel as well as other professionals whom are required to wear a full size service handgun for sustained periods of time.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such a holster and mounting bracket assembly which affords versatility in terms of functioning on a variety of body types, including means for right- and left-hand use.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such a holster and mounting bracket assembly which possess the capacity of being completely concealed on the user, while maintaining a level of comfort during nonuse and storage of the handgun on the user.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such a holster and mounting bracket assembly which comprises means to adjust the angular relationship thereof to accommodate the positioning of the wearer""s arm and corresponding movement without resorting to increased handling of components comprising the handgun, particularly the handle and triggering subassemblies.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such a holster and mounting bracket assembly which comprises means to achieve a range of pivotal movement of approximately 70 degrees.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such a holster and mounting bracket assembly which adaptably raises the handgun grip above the waistline and the entire handgun approximately one inch thereabove for quick and efficient retrieval of the full size service handgun from the holster.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide such a holster and mounting bracket assembly which accomplishes the foregoing and other objects and advantages and which is economical, durable, and fully effective in performing its intended functions.
In accordance with the present invention, an improved full size service handgun holster and mounting bracket assembly for use on a belt or strap, the assembly comprising, in combination, a handgun pouch having front and back walls substantially symmetrical and parallel to one another, a top barrel pad having a front sight channel guide to facilitate proper positioning of the handgun into the holster and removal therefrom, a pair of extending straps for securing the handgun within the handgun pouch, each extending strap comprising a free end held together by a snap fastening button, a push/pull loop having ends fixedly attached to the front and back walls to serve as means to adjust the holster without resorting to increased handling of the handgun, particularly the handle and triggering components of the handgun, a mounting bracket for pivotal movement of the holster to permit angular adjustment of the holster to correspond to the relative positioning of the wearer""s arm and corresponding movement for rapid retrieval of the handgun from the handgun pouch, the mounting bracket comprising belt mounting and receiving plates, both of which form a pair of receiving pockets and thin-profiled pocket for engaging a portion of an engaging flange made part of a swivel plate to inhibit outward movement of the holster as the handgun is drawn from the handgun pouch, and right- and left-sided apertures to permit passage of a pivoting screw, the swivel plate comprising a swivel mount having a plurality of apertures extending therethrough for passage of a corresponding number of rivets to secure the handgun pouch to the swivel mount, the swivel plate further comprising an upper extending section having a pair of engaging flanges and a midsection defining a first section coplanar with the swivel mount and a second section having a locking flange to engage a portion of a middle flange made part of the receiving plate to inhibit outward movement of the swivel plate as the swivel mount and attached handgun pouch are positioned in upward orientation.
Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments thereof when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals depict the same parts in the various views.